Punctuation can be intimidating. Some people don't know the correct
instance to employ semicolons; others use commas as if they're going out
of style.
There are many who abuse the rules without knowing it.

The City of Birmingham, England, banned apostrophes
on public signs, saying that
removing the punctuation mark would create consistency across local
signage. City officials received a slew of complaints as residents
called the decision
a "dumbing down," especially as they're teaching children proper writing
skills. City councilors said apostrophes were confusing and old
fashioned,
designating possessions that are no longer needed or no longer accurate.

Punctuation debates have also been in the U.S. spotlight. Some have argued that the title of the Hugh Grant-Sandra Bullock romantic comedy "Two Weeks
Notice" should have read "Two Weeks' Notice," because it's referring to a notice of two weeks.

Follow these simple guidelines from the Associated Press Stylebook for proper use of these punctuation staples
that'll keep your writing crisp.

1. Apostrophe ('):
There are multiple rules, including the following scenarios: Plural nouns not ending in s, add ' s (women's rights); plural nouns ending
in s, add only an apostrophe (the boys' toys); nouns plural in form, singular in meaning, add only an apostrophe (mathematics' rules);
nouns the same in singular and plural should be treated the same as plurals, even if the meaning is singular (the moose's prints); singular nouns
not ending in s, add 's (the church's offerings); singular proper names ending in s, use only an apostrophe (Socrates' philosophy); singular common nouns ending in s, add ' s unless the next word begins with s ( the witness's answer; the witnesses' stories); descriptive phrases, do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it is used
primarily in a descriptive sense (a writers guide, the teachers union).

2. Comma (,):
Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put commas before the conjunction in a simple series.My favorite foods are pizza, turkey and chocolate. For the record, AP votes no in the great Oxford comma debate.
[Editor's note: At Ragan, we generally follow AP style, but we
reluctantly, though for the sake of clarity and consistency, opt to use
the
Oxford/serial comma. In this article, however, the author gets his way
in the comma debate. For more on the comma, click
here.]

3. Colon (:):
The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to
introduce lists, tabulations, texts, etc. Capitalize the first word
after a colon only if
it's a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence.
He was promised this: His parents would buy him a new toy for his
birthday. Her favorite rock group: The Beatles. There were three
exceptions for his
consideration: time, space and flexibility.

4. Semicolon (;):
Use to separate elements of a series when the items in the series are long and at least one item contains internal commas. He is survived by a brother, Seymour, in Boston; three nephews in Chicago; and seven cousins in Los Angeles. Place semicolons outside quotation
marks.

5. Quotation marks (", '; ',"):
When a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph that
continues the quotation, do not put close-quote marks at the end of the
first
paragraph. Put open-quote marks at the start of the second paragraph.
Use single quotation marks when including a quote within a quote. The
period and the
comma always go within the quotation marks.

6. Ellipsis (…):
Use to indicate deletion of one or more words in condensing quotes,
texts, and documents. Use one space on both sides of the ellipsis." My name is Steve … and I enjoy sports and grammar."

7. Hyphen (-):
Known for joining words, hyphens are used to avoid ambiguity or to form a
single idea from two or more words. Hyphens are most often used in
compound
modifiers—two or more words expressed as a single concept—that precede a
noun. Hyphens are not used with the adverb very nor with adverbs ending
in -ly. The classroom-driven curriculum. The very large elephant is hungry. An eternally grateful grandmother.

What are some of your favorite punctuation marks, and what rules do you
find intimidating or perhaps convoluted? To make sure your prose is
shoe-spit
shiny, follow AP style and tips for news writing. And, of course, always proofread.